


Maybe I Love You

by fictionsparks



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Buzzfeed Unsolved Supernatural, Hopefully a slowburn, M/M, Nightmares, Obliviousness, Pining, Ryan Bergara In Love, buzzfeed unsolved - Freeform, shyan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-14 00:06:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15376371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionsparks/pseuds/fictionsparks
Summary: The boys fly out all the way to Fourmile, Kentucky, searching for the entity that lives within the abandonded Belva Mine. The trip has some twists and turns, but one thing is certain.Someone is keeping secrets.





	1. Ryan

It was never easy. 

Sure, it was easy to fall. His laugh, his eyes, his smile; those made it easy to see why. The way he stuck by him, made fun of him, supported him; he made falling in love effortless and almost unrecognizable. 

But, it wasn't easy. In fact, it was impossibly hard- so, very, excruciatingly hard- for Ryan to hide it. 

Ryan couldn't tell when it started. Maybe it was when they went on their trip from California to Mexico and Kansas. That's when they really got to know one another. Or, maybe it was with the start of Ruining History. Watching him light up with glee and really have fun doing what he loves. Or, maybe it was as soon as they met- with the first, “Hey, wanna get coffee?” and, “How’s the new script coming along?”

He didn’t understand why he didn't see it until now. Now, as he walked into the hotel room with two fresh coffees, after wrestling to open the door with both hands full, and trying his best to beat Shane’s alarm. Now, wincing as the door slammed behind him, despite his best efforts. Now, seeing Shane rustle awake under his gaze, and groan when his phone showed 7:06 instead of 7:10, when his alarm was set to go off.

Ryan moved toward the beds, and set Shane’s coffee down, feeling somewhat guilty about accidentally waking him up. Shane rolled over, still under the comforter, and sleepily gave him a small smile when his eyes rested on the steaming cup. 

“Morning, Big Guy. Thought you could use this after yesterday.” Ryan spoke softly, not wanting to disturb the quiet of the room. He sat on his bed, and tapped the lamp on before grabbing his own hot coffee. 

At this point, Shane had hoisted himself up, and was now rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He groaned, eyes still sore from exhaustion. “Mmh, why are you so awake?”, he managed to ask, his voice deep and groggy. 

“Oh, I couldn't get much sleep. Decided to just get up around 6:00, and then got us coffee.” Ryan took a large sip of coffee, letting it warm his body as he swallowed it down. After both men had a few more sips, Ryan spoke up. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah,” Shane paused, and turned to Ryan. “How come you can't sleep?” His eyebrows were upturned, in slight concern.

“Uh, I dunno. Maybe it was traffic or something.” He took a sip to mask his face, hoping he didn't let on to the fact that there was something keeping him up. Shane accepted that answer, to Ryan’s happiness, despite the fact that their hotel was in the middle of nowhere and they were quite possibly part of the slim minority willing residents in the tri-state area.

They had travelled all the way to Barbourville, Kentucky, staying a cheap Best Western Hotel, all for them to travel 50 miles to nearby Fourmile the next day. They had special permission to visit the Belva Mine, now known as Straight Creek Mine,which had been abandoned since the explosion in 1945. After flying in from Louisville the night before, Shane drove them for around 4 hours, on I-64 and I-75. He about lost his shit trying to find the hotel, since it wasn't on the map, but they finally saw the blue walls as it was nearing 11:30 PM. Shane crashed in bed as soon as they got their bags in the door.

“Oh goodness, I wore jeans to bed. Why didn't I change?” Shane lamented, finally heaving the covers off and getting out of bed. Ryan chuckled as the taller man rummaged through duffel bag and disappeared in the bathroom with a change of clothes and a bag of toiletries. 

As he heard the water turn on for Shane’s shower, Ryan allowed his smile to slowly fade. As his face rested, the dark circles were a tad more visible, and his eyes looked worn. He took one last gulp from his coffee, frowning slightly as he thought of last night. 

He wasn’t intending to lie to Shane, but after that ordeal the night before, he figured it was best to just let the man stay ignorant for now. However, something about the way Shane looked over at him with concern told him that he already knew something was amiss. 

For a week or so, Ryan hadn’t been able to sleep well. Sometimes it would just be a loss of one or two hours, but on the worst nights (which seemed to be every night), Ryan would wake in cold sweat from a jarring nightmare. Those nights he would be unable to slow his mind, and he went sleepless until dawn. The dream itself wasn't truly bad, but something about the subject, or the landscape, made him wish this trip was over with. Maybe they weren't connected, and nothing would happen in the mine. Nevertheless, there was a growing sense of dread and a hefty knot in his stomach.

Ryan sighed, already missing the comfort of his coffee. Then, as he tried to tune out the random bursts of song coming from the shower, he finally got up from his bed and began to prepare his mental notes for the day ahead.


	2. Shane

The warm water slid gently over his skin, helping him finally blink away the remnants of sleep. After a few moments of peaceful silence, letting the water soak his body, he reached for the shampoo. As he lathered the liquid in his hair, he allowed his mind to wander.

What was Ryan hiding?

Shane knew for a fact that there wasn't any traffic on this abandoned stretch of land known as Barbourville, so Ryan’s excuse didn't hold up. However, seeing how his friend’s eyes darted nervously down to the coffee in his hands, he decided not to pry. 

Should I be worried?

After all, Ryan and Shane were best buddies. Shane thought it was obvious that he could be told any secret, and keep any promise. Normally, if somebody didn't want to talk, he just allowed them their space. But, there was something in Ryan’s eyes; his entire demeanor changed when he thought Shane wasn't looking, and his eyes lost that sparkle.

He sighed into the warm water, letting the suds wash out of his hair. As he reached for the body wash, he decided to leave the serious contemplation for later. He poured the soap into his hands and began to gently hum the first tune that popped into his head. 

It wasn't until after he was drying off with one of the hotel towels that he realized the tune was some sappy love song that was on the radio the night before. Ryan had struggled to find a radio station that would connect for more than half a song, but most of the time he would end up singing to static and Shane’s chuckles. He laughed at the memory, recalling the contrasting mood a few hours later when attempting to locate the hotel. 

After sufficiently patting the water away, he slid his clothes on and checked himself out in the mirror. His basic pairing of a rolled-up red plaid and black jeans stood out in the bland cream colored bathroom. As he brushed his teeth, that pesky song from the radio that Ryan sang loudly popped back in his head. Furrowing his brows, he spit out the minty toothpaste and went about applying deodorant. After looking over himself once more, he decided he looked fine, and then exited the bathroom. 

When he walked back in, he noticed Ryan sat on the bed still, this time with his denim jacket on. Oddly, he was fixated on a certain spot on the wall, with those thoughtful eyes of his. Then, Shane noticed the worn look of his face that he hadn't seen earlier that morning. His eyes had hints of dark circles under them, and a soft frown had made its way on Ryan’s face. Having looked on for a solid moment, Shane made his way through the entrance and crossed the room, breaking Ryan’s thoughtful trance. 

“Hey, whatcha thinking about?” Shane inquired, as soon as Ryan had looked up. He answered Shane with an indifferent shrug, only deepening his concern. However, again, he decided now was not the time to pry. 

He grabbed their cameras, a backpack, and his jacket. Throwing the bag over his shoulder, he looked back at Ryan, eyebrows up. “Are you ready to go?”

Ryan nodded, getting up from the bed. Shane kept his gaze, noticing his partner’s preoccupied state. Hopefully, he would regain that sparkle on the way to the site. If things played out like usual, Ryan should be bright and chipper until the wind blew or a board creaked, and Shane would be forced to listen to all of the crazed man’s silly,spooked, fanatical ramblings. 

But, if things don't go as usual? What then?

All Shane could do was hope. Maybe everything was okay. Maybe Ryan would work it out. Maybe he’d tell his friend what was going on.

Or, maybe not.

With that final thought, he closed the door behind them, sticking the plastic key card in his pocket. The boys sauntered through the halls and to the parking lot, where they promptly packed the car of all their essentials. Then, Shane and Ryan buckled up, and were off to Fourmile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gotten caught up in a productivity fit so I guess ya'll are getting 2 chapters close together. I'll soend some time writing tomorrow but no promises. Love ya'll.


	3. Ryan

The car ride was silent, and awkward. Mark, their cameraman, was behind the two boys, tapping away on his phone without the slightest acknowledgment of the others. Shane was at the wheel, with Ryan seated next to him, gazing absentmindedly out the window. The car was wheeling through Barbourville, and they were 40 minutes away from their destination: a haunted mine in desolate Fourmile, Kentucky.

Ryan watched the stores go by, their fronts reminiscent of cut-and-paste murals from old magazines; nothing about them matched or followed patterns, except for too many happenings of garrish metal roofing. It made for a boring way to occupy oneself when trying to avoid awkward conversation. He wanted to talk with Shane, and rather enjoyed his presence for many reasons, but any conversation would result in questions he’d rather not answer. He thought that they could maintain silence until they needed to shoot.

As if on queue, there came from his jean jacket a short, but loud, buzz. On instinct, he reached for his phone, and clicked it on as he drew it out of his pocket. The screen lit up to reveal a text, with a most unexpected sender. 

With the day Ryan was having, he expected things to get worse. Already, he had a plateful of problems, most of which he intended to table until later (meaning table until never). He didn’t need to deal with nightmares. He didn’t need to deal with fatigue. He didn’t have to deal with a doomed love life. And, most of all, he didn’t need to deal with a reminder of Shane’s love life.

Abby, Shane’s girlfriend of 2 years, had texted him. 

“Ryan, is everything okay? Shane’s not answering his phone.”

Ryan almost laughed. In all honesty, he didn’t dislike Abby. In fact, Abby was probably one of his favorite coworkers. She was an editor for a lot of Ryan’s products, and they worked well together. But, this kinda felt like a cosmic “fuck you”. Ryan definitely believed in signs, and this felt pretty clear.

Ryan broke the silence in the car. “Hey Shane, Abby just texted me. Seems like she’s been trying to get ahold of you…”, he trailed off, watching Shane smile at the mention of his girlfriend. 

“Can you tell her I’m driving?” He laughed, more of a wheeze really, then he continued. “What is she doing up this early? It’s, like, almost 5:00 over there.”

“I dunno, she’s your girlfriend,” he half joked, hoping not to show his bitterness. Despite whatever personal wants he may have, he did have a duty to support his friend. He had absolutely no right, whatsoever, to act bitter. 

As he typed out a reply to Abby, he let his thoughts stew. What else could the universe throw his way? Maybe he could get possessed and just let the demon take the wheel. The only problem was that they had already filmed their demonic episode for the season.

Turning away from his phone, he finally braved a quick look at Shane after a whole car ride of looking out the window. Shane had his gaze fixed on the road, with a face that could pass as indifferent. But, Ryan knew better. His eyebrows were slightly knitted, as if deep in thought. For a fleeting, selfish moment, Ryan almost believed he might have been worried about him. 

But, he remembered Abby’s mysterious text. 

“Do you want to call her when we get on the exit? See what’s going on?” Ryan asked, curious to know what he was thinking.

“Yeah.” His voice sounded distant, then he cleared his throat and continued, “You don’t mind, do you? I’m worried it might be important, but I’m pretty sure I don’t have enough signal to call right now.”

“No, of course I don’t mind. Besides, Mrs. Goddard said we could stop by the office anytime.” 

“Okay,” Shane responded, as they rounded a curve. Ryan turned his head back, spying a creek passing beneath the road. He got lost in the scenery, and the car regained its silence. No other attempt at conversation was made, but the awkwardness had somehow vanished between the two. 

They passed over many small creeks, accenting the fields barren trees with something interesting and more alive. Every now and then, they’d pass a Dollar General, hinting at a town beyond the establishment. They even spotted a scrap yard, full of rusted wheels and stacks of sheet metal. Between the edges of civilization, Ryan attempted to catch a glimpse of deer or other wildlife, to no avail.

Fourmile creeped upon the car, and before Ryan could fully register where they were, Shane had already pulled off the highway. The town looked surprisingly big. Ryan had imagined ten houses maximum, with about three shops, based on the name itself. However, there were a good number of stores on the main road. 

Shane drove for another few minutes, passing the main collection of buildings. The mine was on the far end of town, after a long stretch of empty land. There was a small sign, advertising the public museum, which led them down a long gravel driveway. Finally, they spotted a small white building: the main offices. 

They had reached their destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a bit interesting, we finally start to get somewhere with the case. More details about the mine will follow.
> 
> I’d also like to address the elephant in the room about this ship: the boy’s personal lives. I wanted their growth to be natural and as true to their real self as possible, so we got a girlfriend. Things will be resolved. (And I love Sara and couldn’t bear seeing ppl hate her bc of a ship, so I made a fictional girlfriend. I support Sara and Shane!!!)
> 
> Stay tuned for next chapter, we find out a little about what’s going on...


	4. Shane

Why was there no goddamn cell reception? 

That was the thought running through Shane’s head, at 10:00 in the morning. They had finally made it to the office of Linda Goddard, manager of the Belva Mine Museum, who had graciously allowed to be interviewed. However, before they could set off and get to work, Shane had to take care of something more pressing: the texts from his girlfriend. 

First off, it was weird that she was even up at that time. She had texted him as he was driving east to Fourmile, with the rising sun blinding him every now and then. But, she was all the way in Los Angeles, where it was still dark and quiet. Then, he was worried that she felt the need to talk to Ryan about it. She knew he was busy on this trip, so she should’ve at least expected that he be unavailable, if not driving responsibly. Despite his many faults, he was a safe driver, and that meant no distractions and no exceptions. 

His mind was racing, thinking of every possible reason that she need to speak to him so urgently. He was gripping the steering wheel tight, and his knuckles were white. His breathing grew short. That is, until Ryan calmed him down a bit, promising that he could take whatever time he needed to call her once they got to a location with better signal.

So, when they pulled into the parking lot, Shane planned to do just that. Except, there was no signal. A strangled groan escaped his lips. The empty bars at the top of his phone screen did nothing to quell his anxieties, and neither did the messages he received. It was no surprise to him when the call produced no dialing tone, and proceeded to hang up automatically. His hopes still fell, in spite of himself, and he knitted his brows in absence of anything else to do but worry.

“We need to talk.” His knee started bumping up and down.  
“Are you up yet?” His hands began shaking.  
“Shane, please, we have to talk soon. Call me when you can.” His heart thumped loudly, and he could hardly hear anything else.

It took all his will power not to allow his mind to plunge into disarray. He conjured every possible emergency; was there a death in the family? Was she sick, or hurt? Did he leave the oven on and burn down their apartment? Maybe she adopted a bird and it proceeded to poop everywhere. And then, more sinister thoughts broke through. Was she in a car accident? Was she attacked at night? Was there a break in?

Ryan opened the office building door, ringing the bell on the outside that finally pulled Shane out of his thoughts. As he looked up from his phone, he let out a long breath that he hadn’t noticed he was holding. He met Ryan’s worried gaze, with eyebrows upturned and mouth pulled taut. They shared a knowing look.

“Could you get ahold of her?” Ryan asked, making his way down the stairs. Shane answered with a shake of the head, his gaze falling to the ground. Ryan, reaching the bottom step, quickly shuffled his was to Shane’s side of the car. He waited in silence, leaning against the car, and stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jacket. For a moment, they stared at the horizon, with brisk morning wind pushing all around them.

Shane broke the silence. “I’m worried. I don’t know what’s wrong.” His voice came out shakier than intended, and he cleared his throat before deciding against continuing. He didn’t trust his own emotions. Beside him, he felt Ryan move next to him, and he tentatively lifted his gaze to see that Ryan had shifted to face him. His eyes begged for more information, an answer even, but Shane didn’t have any. Ryan lifted a hand, placing it on Shane’s shoulder. Instantly, he eased into his friend’s touch, and a gentle smile made its way to his face as his anxieties began to be pushed away. 

“Are you okay to do this, Big Guy?” His voice was soft, and soothing. His eyes told him more; he could do whatever he needed, and Ryan wouldn’t mind.

“I think I can, yeah.” As he took a deep breath, Ryan gave his shoulder a short squeeze. With that, he followed Ryan up the stairs and into the office building.  
His mind might still be racing. He might be dazed and distracted. But, there’s nothing that he could do.

And it’s not so bad, with Ryan smiling right beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so sorry it was a while, but I just got my wisdom teeth taken out so I had some time. Appreciate all the comments and Kudos, and I promise some answers soon!


	5. Ryan

Linda Goddard was a sweet lady. She answered every question Ryan asked, giving them all the details. She even offered things they hadn’t thought to ask. All in all, the interview was successful. Except, Shane couldn’t concentrate, and Ryan was tired out of his mind.

When Ryan brought Shane into the building, Linda had already prepared cups of coffee for them and their camera man. Grateful, they accepted and followed her to her office. Inside the room, they began to set up the equipment needed. Then, the two conducted the interview, sipping their coffees as they worked.

The Belva Mine, in December of 1945, suffered an explosion. As the efforts to save the miners inside continued to unearth the workers, a strange and unsettling story arose. Each miner swore upon the presence of a “lumberjack”, who some claim to have been their savior, and others their captor. The mysterious man travelled through a door, in the section of the mine not collapsed, and many miners took his appearance as a sign of their safety. Soon after his strange disappearance, the miners were reached by the emergency crews. 

Linda had an array of newspaper clippings, diaries, and testimonies- each of them accounting the same story. She had lists of the miners, and histories of the mine. Everything they could need was at their fingertips. She was like a never ending file cabinet. 

Every now and then, Ryan would allow his gaze to drift towards Shane, catching him off guard. In a trance, his eyes were glazed over, and his mouth slightly agape. His lips, framed by an unkempt beard and mustache, would tremble and twitch; it was as if he was working through fabricated conversations in his head. Catching himself, Ryan would look back to Linda. Shane was engaged in the conversation, despite this, and would ask questions just like Ryan. But, he knew better than to think he was okay.

Eventually, the clock neared 11:30, and Linda had to let the boys go. She had an important phone call to make soon- probably mechanics or plumbers. Ryan thanked her for everything, the coffee included. And then, they were packing equipment, buckling their seatbelts, and waving goodbye.

That is, for just a few hours. They’d be back before sundown.

Their second car ride was less silent. By now, Mark had woken up, thanks to a few coffees. He was chatting jovially with the boys, mentioning which parts of the interview would most likely be cut. Things were back to normal, or as normal as it could get.

And yet, despite that, Ryan still couldn’t quite bring his full attention to the conversation. His eyes were drawn to the buildings they passed on their way into town, each one looking like remnants of the bustling metropolis that used to be. It was all quite sad.

“Hey Shane, let me out here. I need new batteries.” Mark’s voice was almost a shock to Ryan, and immediately he was pulled out of his head and now present in reality. And, reality sucked.

His head hurt. His eyes hurt. His face hurt. 

He needed to sleep. 

The car slowed at the curb, pulling over. The cameraman then turned as he opened the door, saying that he’ll just go ahead and eat too. So, as he walked to their right into the Walmart, he left the boys alone to their own devices.

“Hey, Ryan?” He turned his head toward Shane, surprised at the softness in his voice, but soon was overcome with another emotion when he could see the concern etched on his friends face. 

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?” It was cute; Shane Madej, with so much on his plate at the moment, wanted to know if he was okay. He smiled.

“Why do you ask?”

“Well,” His eyes darted down, seemingly nervous as he continued, “It's just that earlier on, you kinda spaced out a bit.” 

“Yeah,” Ryan sighed; there was no way to lie to Shane when he was this sweet and considerate. “I haven’t been sleeping well. But, don’t worry. I’ll take a melatonin tonight, or something.”

His eyes softened, as worry left his face. Shane didn’t need to know all of it, not now at least. Ryan thought he might even wait until they were back in sunny California, where all of the stress could melt away. 

“You want to get something to eat? I saw a pizza place on Main Street.” And, of course, Ryan was always down for pizza. Shane pulled away from the curb, and they made it to the restaurant within minutes. 

The place wasn’t packed, surprising for the only decent looking place to eat in the entire town of Fourmile. The menu wasn’t entirely impressive, however, so they both settled on a classic cheese slice. Their orders were taken by an older lady, possibly in her 40’s, who’s niceties made up for the slight stench of smoke about the restaurant. 

As they waited, Shane ducked out to call Abby. Ryan was okay to wait alone, anyway. He pulled out his phone, trying and failing to access social media. He played a game or two of Temple Run, which went quite quickly. He continued to wait even after the slices were set down by the nice lady, Holly. They were almost cold by the time Shane appeared in the doorway, cheeks red from the wind outside.

“Anything?” Ryan asked, as Shane sat down.

“No, the call went through but she didn’t answer.”

“Hmm,” Ryan replied, eyebrows knitting. The two began tucking into their pizza slices, grease dripping onto their plates. As light conversation ensued, Ryan couldn’t stop thinking.

This was odd.


	6. Shane

He had lied to Ryan.

There they were, two buddies in a pizza place, out in the middle of Kentucky. The freezing air fogged up the large window front, facing the highway. Every now and then, a semi or a tractor would pass by, only slightly heard over the drum of conversation within the establishment. But the two were silent. 

He wasn’t sure why he lied. Ryan would understand what happened. Shane knew he didn’t have to hide a damn thing, because he had never had a friend so compassionate and understanding. If he could tell anyone what Abby had said, it would be Ryan.

But, when he pulled the door, he made a snap decision as the warmth from the restaurant leaked into the frigid air. His eyes, brimming with tears that threatened to escape at any minute, fell upon Ryan. Ryan, with his hair slightly tousled and frown etched on his face, locked his concerned eyes with Shane’s. And, even though they both looked a nervous mess, they both instantly calmed. Shane made his way to their booth, cheeks red and puffed from the cold wind. He knew, as he sat down, that he would deny everything and blame his tears on the nasty weather outside. 

Ryan had enough on his plate. Shane could keep it under control, if only for Ryan’s sake.

And, that’s what he did. As they finished eating, he made light conversation, and smiled. After they received the word, they drove back out to Mark, Shane making a point to greet him lively. As the hours passed and their tasks were completed, he smiled, chatted, and kept it under control.

But, as darkness crept upon the town of Fourmile, a seed of exhaustion sprouted and grew within Shane. Driving back down the empty road to the office of Linda Goddard, he lacked the sheer willpower to distract himself any longer. His mind wandered, and he could hear vividly the echoes of her voice. It all threatened to come crashing down, his carefully built dam to keep his emotions and tears from spilling over.

He turned up the radio. They had a few more miles to go, anyway. That song, the one Ryan had attempted to sing along to the night before, was on again. Shane decided it wasn’t too bad, remembering the smile Ryan had managed to sport despite their sore, stiff, jet-lagged bodies. 

This time, his friend didn’t bust out into song as before, but quietly hummed. Daring a look over, he caught Ryan off in another world, for the umpteenth time this day. His eyes were closed, but his face was was alive under the glow of the setting sun. Shane smiled; at least, Ryan looked happy.

Shane pulled the wheel to the right as they entered the driveway. The office buildings, now a soft orange in the light of the late fall sunset, were abandoned, save for one room still illuminated. A face appeared in the window, and, spying the car making its way down the road, the figure left the room and went to the front door. Shane pulled into a parking spot beside a white Prius, and Linda Goddard walked over to the side of their car. He rolled down the window.

“Ready to see the mine?”

Within minutes, they were following Linda’s car further down the road, and began to see remnants of the old town. Ryan’s face lit up as they drove closer, now getting their first looks at the place. A stone wall barred them from the farthest buildings- a cabin and outhouse. The road followed the wall to a large wooden building. Here, Linda parked, the boy following suit, and Ryan unbuckled his seatbelt rather hastily. 

They had parked in front of a large black barn. Off to one side began a dense patch of trees, but the other side sprouted a pen of sorts. Shane could see sheep-like shapes in the dim light, all huddled on the far side as if scared of the four of them. 

“Shane, come on!” Ryan called, already inside the barn with Linda and Mark. He shouted something quick in response, grabbing his camera and closing the door before pressing the lock button on the key fob. 

Inside, Linda presented to them the museum, made by her and her associates from the local historical society. They had everything you could possibly want to know about Kentucky, Appalachia, and mining towns in general. There were barrels, plows, yokes, and other stereotypical Appalachian artifacts hung on the walls, with factual blurbs posted under them. Ryan was flitting around all over the place, like a hummingbird, trying to read them all. When they were lead to the main section of the museum, Ryan’s eyes almost popped out of his sockets.

Shane chuckled, being led by Ryan to a very large pickaxe, wanting to recite every word for the camera. Beside them were large print photos of the mine, with men posed at the front entrance. The men looked happy, even in the midst of the Great Depression; a skinny man in overalls had his arms slung over his two buddies, and his smile was wide enough that Shane could see his missing tooth.

He wondered if the man died in the collapse. Or was he, perhaps, one of the many crazed enough to believe a lumberjack saved him?

He looked at the photo. Men behind the trio were pushing carts into the mouth of the mine, their bodied blurred by the technology of the 40’s. That was their lives: hauling carts in and out, working long hours, going back home to provide for kids and wives, then going back in the morning to do it all again. Life may have gotten easier, but Shane couldn’t help but wonder if they had the same pains.

Did they have bosses who were old scumbags who tried to fit in too much? Did their in-laws come into town unexpected and throw off the whole month’s plans? Did they ride all the way home from the store only to realize they left something very important?

Did their girlfriends call them out of the blue, while they were away on a job, telling you that they wanted to take a break? For some reason, Shane didn’t think so. 

When he looked away from the picture, Ryan had skipped away to another section, eyeing a banjo carved from a gourd. His voice echoed over to where Shane was standing, and from what he could hear, Linda had engaged him with a very fascinating story. It all sounded good and all, but they had a mine to look at, and it was probably half a mile away and inaccessible by car. 

He let a yawn escape his mouth, his eyes screwing shut as he did so. A quick glance at his watched showed him it was just past 7 o’clock, and they were planning on leaving around midnight. He hoped this wouldn’t be like Arizona, but it was shaping up to be that way.

As he stepped away from the picture, and toward his friend, he murmured under his breath, “I’m gonna need a beer.” It was shaping up to be a long, very long, night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s three lines of dialogue in this entire chapter lmao. Hope y’all liked it.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the first chapter. I'm unsure when the next one will be up, but I know that I'm bad with deadlines. Hope you guys enjoy it! See ya'll soon.


End file.
